Chamber and committees

There is no formal relationship between the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) and the Scottish Policing Board.

The SPSA''s statutory responsibilities are set out in the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006. The role and remit of the Scottish Policing Board are outlined in the Foundation Document which was agreed at the first meeting on 23 November 2009, and is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49746).

The additional reduction in the Scottish Budget for 2010-11 proposed by the Chancellor in his announcement of 24 May 2010 amounts to £332.5 million. The UK Government''s plans for future public spending will be confirmed in the Comprehensive Spending Review and Scottish ministers are in dialogue with UK counterparts about the prospects for the spending review and the implications of deferring the reduction they have announced until 2011-12.

There have been no additional costs associated with the administration of the Scottish Policing Board. The secretariat function is provided from existing resources in the Scottish Government.

The UK Government has not announced how the reductions in public spending it intends to implement in 2010-11 and beyond will affect expenditure on reserved public services in Scotland. However, the previous UK Government forecast, in the March 2010 Budget, that government spending would make a negative contribution to UK GDP growth of 0.75% in both 2011 and 2012.

Updated details about the new UK Government''s public spending plans are expected in the Emergency Budget to be held on 22 June 2010 and the Comprehensive Spending Review scheduled for sometime in the autumn.

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 introduces ambitious, world-leading legislation to reduce emissions by at least 42 per cent by 2020 and at least 80 per cent by 2050. To achieve these targets the Scottish Government has a wide ranging delivery plan to facilitate the economic and social transformation required and this includes many measures to support individual and community action.

The £27.4 million Climate Challenge Fund (2008-11) continues to support communities across Scotland to take action to reduce carbon emissions. The Scottish Government has in the last financial year provided over £6.5 million grant assistance to support around 300 community projects through the Community And Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) and a similar level of funding is available in the current financial year. The five Energy Saving Scotland advice centres, which are funded by the Scottish Government and managed by the Energy Saving Trust, provide support to over 100 community groups, including groups funded through the CCF, each year helping them both to plan and implement local carbon saving activities at a grass roots level.

The Scottish Government is developing a climate change behaviour research programme to better understand the factors influencing public responses to climate change. The current GoGreener campaign seeks to encourage and support more environmentally responsible behaviour in the general public across Scotland and Scottish Government is also developing a wider climate change public engagement strategy.

The review of the Climate Challenge Fund is scheduled to complete in June 2011 and the review report is expected to be published at that time.

The UK Government is now moving into line with the Scottish Government. The Government Car Service in Scotland already deploys its drivers as a shared resource which allows ministerial journey requests to be covered in the most efficient way. Ministers use public transport when it is practical to do so.

No.

Consideration of any extension of the Climate Challenge Fund will take place in the context of the Scottish spending review, later this year.

The Scottish Government published in March Towards a Low Carbon Economy for Scotland: Discussion paper which draws together, for the first time, ways in which Scotland can take pole position in the drive to secure the economic benefits of greener business.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/lowcarbon.

It is designed to gather views and experiences from across Scotland and to form a clear basis for discussion with industry sectors like finance, construction and skills. The key purpose of the discussions is to highlight exactly what type of interventions are required to realise that vision.

We aim to provide a clear focus to promote the transition to a low carbon economy by using the output from the consultation period to publish a low carbon strategy in autumn 2010.

We are working to develop that strategy in partnership with the key bodies responsible for economic development in Scotland “ the Enterprise Agencies, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Development International, the Scottish Funding Council, Visit Scotland and Transport Scotland, as well as the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities is also working closely with the Scottish Government. In addition we are working with business, private and third sector bodies to take the work forward.